


Heat Waves

by cigarettesandbruisedhips



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:55:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25793995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cigarettesandbruisedhips/pseuds/cigarettesandbruisedhips
Summary: Sometimes, all I think about is youLate nights in the middle of JuneHeat waves been faking me outCan't make you happier now-Glass Animals
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 15
Kudos: 78





	1. Heat Waves

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at writing for anything other than personal enjoyment so please go easy on me. I was inspired by Glass Animal's Heat Waves.
> 
> A million thank yous to @januarywren, you are a saint for putting up with me. Thank you for your help.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, JKR owns it all

June 14, 2002, 9:00 PM

Focus was harder and harder to come by as she listened to the whimpers coming from the bassinet in the corner of her small room. Hermione stared at the small bundle wrapped in blankets praying for twenty more minutes before he needed undivided attention. He soon quieted down and all that could be heard was the gentle sucking of his baby blue pacifier. Thanking Merlin, Hermione turned her attention back to her open laptop. 

“Come on,” she whispered to her motivation. 

Her eyes locked onto the clock in the corner of her screen. She had a little over 7 hours to get in another article before she was officially too late. Truthfully she was almost complete with her mediocre piece of work but lately, this had been eating at her. She was writing lackluster articles about homemaking and raising a family while being a single mother in a small one-room apartment. She was a fraud. 

Hermione quietly closed her laptop and grabbed the cardigan she’d discarded on the corner of her bed and peaked at her bundle of joy. Hunter Granger. She dare not touch him, knowing too well he’d immediately wake and seek her attention. She reached over his bassinet and switched on the baby monitor pocketing its companion as she walked out the door. She twisted the knob and closed it gently hoping to make as little noise as possible. She picked up the baby monitor and turned it on as she walked away from her bedroom. 

A grimace graced her features as she heard the baby monitor warn of a low battery. 

“Thanks, Ron.” 

She shook her head trying not to be upset at her redhead friend. Yes, she’d asked him to replace the batteries when he’d watched Hunter earlier but he HAD dropped everything to help her out in a tight spot. She sighed opening random drawers in the kitchen, stunned as she caught a photo of her and Draco. 

Thoughts of Draco weren’t rare, especially when she would look at Hunter. He had her ears and her eyes but the rest was Draco, down to the Malfoy blond hair. She sighed as she took the picture out of its hiding place and leaned against the counter. “I miss you, you idiot.” 

Draco was never meant to be hers. She was never meant to be his. Lately, she asked herself why she carried on with him knowing that what they had had an expiration date. She wasn’t one for casual affairs. 

_“So,” Harry cleared his throat, uncomfortably, as they watched Hunter drool over the remote._

_“So,” Hermione responded, locking eyes with her oldest friend.  
“Malfoy finally made his announcement to the Prophet. They’re going to be married on the 15th of June.” _

____

____

_She felt the air rush out of her lungs, “Oh.”_

__

__

_“Yeah,” Harry finally broke eye contact with Hermione to look down at his wedding band. He fiddled and twisted it as he continued, “I know this is still hard for you but I didn’t want you to find out any-”_

__

__

“ _Harry,” she interrupted him, voice cracking, “Thank you.” she placed her hand on his to stop his nervous habit. She wanted to tell him to stop trying to protect her, she was a big girl now, but she knew it was just a moot point._

__

__

She shook herself from that memory before shoving the picture back into the drawer and grabbing the batteries she needed for the baby monitor. She cleared her throat trying not to think about the fact that the next day would be the final nail in the coffin that was their relationship. 

“He told you this wasn’t forever,” she told herself before grabbing a water bottle and heading outside. She took the baby monitor out of her pocket and pressed it to her ear, satisfied as she heard Hunters even breathing. 

She wrapped the cardigan around her more tightly more out of comfort than the weather. It had been unseasonably warm but right now she needed the security that the sweater offered. 

Nights like these she thanked her lucky stars she had been able to get a ground floor apartment. She checked the baby monitor once more before sitting down on the pavement. She pulled her knees to her chest repeating to herself that she didn’t need or want Draco in her life but that wasn't working tonight. The tears escaped and so opened the floodgates. 

She wanted more than this life in hiding, for herself, for Hunter. Harry had repeatedly told her she should have gone to Draco as soon as she found out she was pregnant. 

_“He’s been asking about you.”_

__

__

_“He can ask all he wants,” she retorted._

She tried to quell her tears to no avail, they kept falling. Her soul needed this cleansing. There's only so much you can hold back before it escapes. 

She loved Hunter with her whole being. Nothing had prepared her for the overwhelming love that rolled over her as she first took in his little face as they placed him on her chest. She wanted to share that with Draco but she knew she couldn’t. She knew too well that if Lucius Malfoy ever found out about Hunter-

Hermione shook herself out of that thought. Lucius Malfoy would never find out about Hunter and that was the end of that. He’d made it very clear the last time they met that there would be consequences if she didn’t end things with his son. 

Hermione wiped her face as best she could as she grabbed the bottle of water she’d brought with her and drank it down. She could hear Hunter begin to wake up and he needed her to be at her best. Mental breakdowns would have to wait for another day. She took a deep breath before heading inside. As she closed her front door she swore she’d heard the distinct pop of apparition but ignored it. 

Hunter’s whimpers died down, his even breathing coming through the monitor. She shrugged before heading to the kitchen. She should go back to her article to send to her editor but her motivation wasn’t cooperating. Her thoughts were too wrapped up in Draco. Too wrapped in the last time they’d spoken. 

Draco’s heartbroken expression when she told him that she no longer wanted to see him was something she would carry with her forever, then to find out she was carrying his son. She’d never been a religious person but if she had she’d have to agree that God did have a sense of humor. 

Humming to herself she decided to head back to her bedroom and finish up her work so she could finally head to bed when she heard the knock at the door. Hermione looked towards her stove. 9:38. She debated answering it. It was getting late. 

Deciding that she’d be able to handle herself she felt for her wand in her leg holster. She glanced back at her bedroom once more before pulling open the front door. 

“Granger,” she felt dizzy as her brown eyes locked with his pewter ones, “You’ve been quite elusive.”

Stunned into silence she could just stare at him before Hunter let out a deafening wail. 


	2. Dreamland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That first friend you had and words that you said  
> That perfect moment, that last tear you shed  
> All you done in bed? All our memories  
> All around your head, all around your head
> 
> Dreamland - Glass Animals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had another spark of inspiration. I sincerely hope it doesn't disappoint anyone.

Which way to go first? Draco stared behind Hermione as she debated on what to do. She had to get to Hunter before he became inconsolable but seeing him just standing in front of her felt like the world had completely stopped spinning on the correct axis.

“W..what-” she started before she heard another cry coming from Hunter. 

Hermione finally let go of the doorknob and turned towards her bedroom, Draco chose that moment to react, quickly grabbing her wrist. 

“Please,” he started as she turned to give him another frantic look, “Let me meet him.” 

The very fact that he knew she had a son had shocked her but as another one of Hunter’s squeals filled the air she had no time to question it. 

“Okay,” she stated simply and nodded for him to follow her into the darkroom. 

Hermione decided against turning the overhead light on hoping to be able to settle him down quickly. Shushing him as she pulled back the blanket she had placed on him earlier that night she saw that he was mostly still asleep but in search of the pacifier he rarely let out of his sight.

“Shh shh, it’s okay. Here’s your paci, shhh.” she placed the tip at his lips, he eagerly sucked it in and settled back into a comfortable position. 

“I love you,” she whispered before turning, startled to find Draco intently staring at their son. He’d been so quiet and the baby so loud she’d momentarily forgotten that he’d tracked them down and was now setting eyes on her baby for the first time. 

Hermione could tell by the expression on his face Draco’s mind was racing a million miles a minute. She took a shaky breath before fully turning, grabbing his forearm and pulling him back into the main part of the apartment.

As she once again shut the door she pulled her wand out and silenced the room around the infant so she could still hear him but he couldn’t hear the commotion that was likely to ensue. 

“Why, Granger?” 

Hermione shook her head as she looked at his back, he’d started pacing in the small space of her apartment occasionally stopping and looking at pictures she’d placed in various places.

“How did you find me?” was all she could muster. What else could she say to him? _Oh, you know Lucius, your blood supremacist father, he threatened me… and you… and everything we care for. The usual Tuesday._

Draco finally stopped to turn to look at her, “You actually think I’d ever stop looking for you.” 

She shook her head at his serious tone, a part of her knew it was just a rhetorical question but another part she knew that he wanted to know she understood him. 

“You just left,” he accused as he picked up his pacing once more, not bothering to control the volume of his voice, “You claimed you didn’t want anything to do with ME.” 

He ran his fingers through his hair before stopping at the counter. Pinching the bridge of his nose he tried to take a deep breath to reign in his emotions. _Bloody, Gryffindors._

Once again he turned to look at her, noticing for the first time since the beginning of his tirade how frightened Hermione looked. He relaxed immediately. This wasn’t what he wanted. He wasn’t his father, he would not intimidate the woman he loved to get what he wanted.

“Hermione,” he began. The first tear rolled down Hermione’s cheeks and all thoughts stopped.

“Please,” she whispered, “Don’t take him from me.” 

Hermione knew all too well that if Draco decided to take this to the Wizengamot she’d have no chance of keeping Hunter. Draco would be given all the rights and she’d be lucky if she had visitation. Though many things had changed in wizarding Britain, the purebloods still had more pull than muggle-borns. Even in Muggle courts, they would deem Draco more stable and better suited to raise their child. 

“I-I know I lied to you,” she tried not to stutter through the silent tears that continued to fall. Hermione knew she had to get control of her emotions but the thought of not having her baby in her life was an ache she never thought she’d have to face.

Draco’s heart broke as she stared at her, he shook his head before making his decision to walk across the apartment to her. Being around her felt like no time had passed. Like they were still two stupid kids in love. He picked her up and was surprised that she’d let him. She’d wrapped her arms and legs around him as her emotions continued to get the better of her. He slid one hand up and down her back trying to calm her. 

Draco took a seat on the couch with her still wrapped around him, “You really think I would ever do that?” he whispered the question into her hair.

It took a few minutes for Hermione to regain composure to answer him, “You’re not going to take him to start a new life with Astoria?” 

Draco sighed his hands resting on her thighs, “Never. You can’t truly believe that once you left I ran into Astoria’s open arms?” he laughed a little looking down at where his hands rested. It felt so right, to be in her presence. 

“My father made that announcement. He’s deluded himself into thinking I’ll actually go through with this marriage to avoid being embarrassed in high society,” he rolled his eyes and laughed. 

“Its always been you.” 

Hermione shook her head, resting her forehead against his shoulder, “You said.” 

“I know but that was before-”

“Before what?”

Draco wanted to choose his words wisely, while he wanted her to know he was more than willing to devote himself to her and their son, he didn’t want to scare her off. 

Throwing all caution to the wind he turned his head to look at her better, “Before I realized how much I loved you.” 

Draco continued to study her face, just because he loved her didn’t mean she’d feel the same way. She had been the one to leave then go into hiding. Maybe she really was done. Maybe this had nothing to do with what he had said 

“Draco,” her voice was shaky as she began to speak, “It’s not that simple anymore. It’s not just me, its Hunter. It’s his life too.” 

Hermione pushed off of him and began to pace around the living room. 

“I wish life was that easy,” she played with a strand of hair as she stopped and looked at him, “You made it clear that you had a duty to your family.”

“Yes, but-”

She continued, speaking over him, “One day when you decide that you have to fulfil that duty, it won’t only be my life left in ruins, Draco.”

“I wouldn’t,” he stopped as she held her hand up.

“That is what you say and think right now. But what happens when Lucius comes and finds you? What then? What about the lifestyle you’ve grown accustomed to goes up in smokes and you start to resent me? Resent us?” she shook her head, scrubbing hands down her face, subconsciously trying to remember if she’d already taken off her makeup.

She didn’t have long to think about it as she felt his hands wrap around her wrists, pulling her hands away from her face, “Do you know how long I’ve been searching for you?”

Hermione shook her head, silently trying to do the math in her. How long has it been?

“Sixteen months,” he answered her thought, “I’ve been all but begging Potter and Weasley for your whereabouts since the second you left.” 

Draco released her wrists opting to look at more of the hung photos in her apartment, “You left is such an understatement. You completely disappeared.” 

Hermione turned to look at the photos he was studying, one of Hunter only a few days old, “I’d decided to give you your space, a few days to cool off before we got a chance to speak but your flat in Diagon had been completely emptied out. When I stopped by the ministry they told me you just up and quit. Quit a job I know for a fact you were so in love with. What was it that you told me?” 

Draco turned to look at her, a sad smile on his face, “Oh yes, you finally felt like you’d found your place. A voice for the voiceless for wizards like Lupin.” 

“Draco-”

“No,” he was abrupt, “Hermione this, us, it isn’t something to pass the time. Our love isn’t just some farce to piss off my father. I walked to the ends of the earth looking for you with or without Hunter.” 

“How did you find out about him?” her curiosity had finally gotten the better of her. 

“My mother,” he stated so matter-of-factly.

“Your mother?” 

He nodded, taking her hand and walking them back to the couch, “She has a tapestry, similar to the one in Grimmauld. She stopped by on a day father was out of the country and gave me an earful about making you go into hiding with her grandchild.

“Whatever it is we have I know it’s not going to be easy. I never deluded myself into thinking it would be, but we can work on it. Together. As a family.” 

Hermione had nearly chewed a hole in her lip by the time he was done, “I have missed you more than the sun misses the moon but its not just that simple, Draco. Your father-”

“Can go fuck himself. Honestly, Granger, He’s lived his life. He doesn’t get to decide how I live mine. He can take my inheritance. I don’t care. I have a job, thank you, I can more than provide for us. If you’ll let me.” 

“You really want to do this? Even though I ran away and kept your son away from you all this time?”

Draco sighed and nodded, “We have a lot to work out but this is worth it to me, Granger.” 

He took her face in his hands, letting their eyes meet, slowly leaning forward. He wanted her to close the gap, which she did eagerly. 

Their first kiss in sixteen months was electric. Her soul soared as she wrapped her arms around his neck. 

They would have taken it further if not for Hunter’s cries. She knew this time he was up. Smiling she pressed her forehead to his. 

“Ready to officially meet your baby?”

_Fin_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to the wonderful januarywren. Catch me on the tumblr for chatting or whatever: cigarettesandbruisedhips.tumblr.com

**Author's Note:**

> I know open-ended stories are not everyone's cup of tea but I'm afraid if I push my muse anymore it won't be what I want for this story. Catch me on Tumblr: cigarettesandbruisedhips.tumblr.com/


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